Magical Butter Second Generation (MB2) Review
Once in a while, a product comes along that not only exceeds expectations, but rewrites the book on them. The Magical Butter machine is just such a product. Simply put, this machine makes cannabis infused oils, butters, and now even medicinal cannabis oils and tinctures. Anybody who has tried to make cannabis infusions without this machine knows that it can be a very time consuming, messy, and challenging process. The Magical Butter machine has taken nearly all of that headache away, and put edible cannabis within reach of anyone who can afford the $174.95 price tag.
What's the Big Deal?
As cannabis becomes more and more widely recognized for it's medicinal benefits, the demand for healthy alternatives to smoking it has increased. In fact, it was just such a circumstance that lead to inventor Garyn Angel creating the Magical Butter machine. A friend of Garyn's, suffering from Crohn's disease, had heard that medicinal cannabis might be helpful to his condition – having already exhausted traditional medications that simply weren't working for him. Wanting to help, Garyn set about creating what would ultimately become the Magical Butter machine.
Creating Cannabis Infused Butter or Oil for Cooking
I'm no stranger to cannabis infused cooking oils, myself. Suffering from chronic pain and frequent muscle spasms, I occasionally use cannabis to help me stay relaxed and comfortable when the pain becomes intolerable. Like many of todays medicinal cannabis patients, I was not a smoker and had never been comfortable with inhaling smoke and toxins into my lungs. A couple of years ago, I spent countless hours researching and putting together a guide for making cannabis cooking oil so that others could avoid the costly trial and error process I went through. While my process works great, it is smelly, messy, and if done right will consume a fair portion of your day. It also requires a double boiler, candy thermometer, a lot of attention, and a bit of ingenuity. The worst part? Make a mistake, and hundreds of dollars worth of medicinal cannabis is suddenly worthless.
The process for making infused oils/butters with the Magical Butter machine? Pour the oil (or butter) into the machine, place the herb in the machine, push a couple of buttons... and wait. That's it! It's mind-blowingly simple, and the resulting infusion is fantastic. Whether making butter, cooking oil, tinctures, or even medicinal cannabis oil – the process is laughably simple when using the Magical Butter machine.
Cannabis Oil – Enemy to Cancer?
More and more research and anecdotal evidence points to a link between cannabis oil concentrates and the slowing or even stopping of developing cancers. In this sense, we are not talking about the kind of infused oil for cooking mentioned above, but rather a highly concentrated oil that can be used for medicinal purposes. It's a tarry looking substance, once created, that is a consistency similar to molasses when cooled. In this concentrated form, patients add a small amount (think in terms of a drop or drops) to food that they ingest or apply under the tongue, or on their gums. When mixed with food, it's not cooked in, but mixed into it for ingestion. Medicinal cannabis pioneers like Rick Simpson have been touting the benefits of these oils for cancer treatment for years, and the popularity and demand for such has been astronomical. The problem until now, is that the process for making this type of oil falls somewhere between daunting... and downright scary. Instructions found on the internet often involve toxic solvents and their creation are not at all for the faint of heart.
The newest version of the Magical Butter machine (MB2) makes creating medicinal oil dramatically easier and much less scary. For this review we went ahead and prepared a batch of medicinal cannabis oil.
Important note – When making cannabis oil, always make sure that you are working in a well-ventilated area, away from flames or ignition sources:
Making medicinal cannabis oil with the Magical Butter Machine
Step 1: Remove the top of the machine, and set it aside. Pour into the machine 2 ½ ounces of medicinal cannabis*.
Step 2: Pour 750 ml of “Everclear” alcohol into the machine. If you can find the 95% version of Everclear in your state, that is preferred here, but the 75% Everclear will work (note: the oil will be of slightly better quality with the 95% Everclear).
Step 3: Replace the top on the Magical Butter machine and plug it in. Set the temperature for 160 degrees (do not set the temperature any higher than this). Press the button labeled for tinctures “4 hours” and let the machine run. During this time the machine will heat up, buzz, whir and grind periodically as led lights flash and glow. The lights are a great whimsical touch, and actually give it a bit of a “magical” feel. After it completes the 4 hour cycle, let the machine cool for an additional half hour.
Step 4: Pour the resulting liquid through a strainer into a container. Squeeze out as much of the liquid through the strainer as possible.
Step 5: Carefully pour the liquid into a saucepan. Turn the heat onto warm, and allow the liquid to come to a soft boil. This process is called a "reduction" and should be well attended and stirred along the way. After about 45-60 minutes of stirring and simmering, the oil should be reduced down to a consistency similar to a warm maple syrup. The small amount of oil left, is the highly concentrated medicinal cannabis oil. Carefully pour this into your desired bottle/container. Due to it's preparation using alcohol, this oil should store for a fairly long time. Note, that in making the oil for my review that I broke the smaller container I intended to use, resulting in my putting the oil in a large jar. The large jar works, but a smaller glass container with an eyedropper would be much better, as an example. Upon completion, amount of oil will vary depending on the quality and strain of cannabis used. For me, it produced roughly 12 grams of oil.
* Medicinal cannabis oils require a fair amount of cannabis, which in itself is daunting to some patients. Keep in mind that efficacy may be diminished if using smaller amounts.
Minor Quibbles
Is the Magical Butter machine perfect? No, but it's pretty fantastic. The filter included with the MB2 device is a “gold” coffee filter, which works and is also an old-standby for straining these oils using more traditional old-school methods. While it performs the task just fine, it's a bit cumbersome to strain your material through. Herbal filter bags, or even cheesecloth would probably work better – and thankfully are an easy enough upgrade should someone want to simplify things even more. The coffee filter they include becomes especially difficult to use when infusing a large amount of oil and herb. It's a bit small for the 2 ½ ounces used in the medicinal oil recipe, for example.
While it really shines at making butters and oils for cooking, it has some limitations when making concentrated cannabis oil as mentioned above. The machine is unable to to replicated some freezing processes that would remove chlorophyll and increase the overall purity and quality of the oil. Still, the resulting oil seems to be an effective medicine for those considering a simpler method like this.
Also, another reviewer at 420 magazine had issues with making cannabis oil at higher elevations – it seemed that for some reason the alcohol would evaporate too fast, and had done so prior to the machine running it's 4 hour program. Having said that, we had no issues when using the machine outside of higher elevations. Still, something to consider before investing in the machine.
Lastly, the Magical Butter machine has a handy cleaning function, which probably works well for most herbal infusions, but for making cannabis oils falls a bit short. The nature of cannabis oil is that it's extremely sticky and gooey, and the called-for soap and water cleaning process won't quite cut the gooey residue left behind, at least after making concentrated cannabis oil. Thankfully, it's easily cleaned with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, which cuts through the sticky residue much more effectively than the soap and water.
Bottom Line
Especially since the inclusion of the ability to use the Magical Butter machine for medicinal cannabis oil and tinctures as part of the second iteration of the device (MB2), this machine really does revolutionize cannabis infusions. Speaking as someone who has labored for hours just to make a single batch of “magical brownies” this machine not only makes the process easier – it's almost fun. I smiled at how simple it was to operate and raised my eyebrows at the resulting oils it produced. It feels durably constructed and sturdy, and amazingly well-imagined. The cannabis oil created for this review turned out fabulously, even as it was my first time making medicinal oil like this. The resulting medicine produced was exactly as expected. Just make sure to have good ventilation for the part of the process that happens outside of the machine, as the resulting vapors can be pretty strong. Finally, the machine comes with several recipes and excellent instructions. If you are into making oils or butters for cooking, these recipes are invaluable and cover a wide range of culinary delights.
All and all, this machine works phenomenally for the functions it performs and completely exceeded my expectations. If you have been wanting to make medicinal cannabis oil, cannabis butter or cannabis infused cooking oils this machine takes a difficult, time consuming process and makes it a relative breeze.
Link to original Magical Butter review by Doc Bud: Magical Butter Product Review
Link to follow up review by Doc Bud: More on Magical Butter
-----------------------------
Reviewed by Xlr8
Once in a while, a product comes along that not only exceeds expectations, but rewrites the book on them. The Magical Butter machine is just such a product. Simply put, this machine makes cannabis infused oils, butters, and now even medicinal cannabis oils and tinctures. Anybody who has tried to make cannabis infusions without this machine knows that it can be a very time consuming, messy, and challenging process. The Magical Butter machine has taken nearly all of that headache away, and put edible cannabis within reach of anyone who can afford the $174.95 price tag.
What's the Big Deal?
As cannabis becomes more and more widely recognized for it's medicinal benefits, the demand for healthy alternatives to smoking it has increased. In fact, it was just such a circumstance that lead to inventor Garyn Angel creating the Magical Butter machine. A friend of Garyn's, suffering from Crohn's disease, had heard that medicinal cannabis might be helpful to his condition – having already exhausted traditional medications that simply weren't working for him. Wanting to help, Garyn set about creating what would ultimately become the Magical Butter machine.
Creating Cannabis Infused Butter or Oil for Cooking
I'm no stranger to cannabis infused cooking oils, myself. Suffering from chronic pain and frequent muscle spasms, I occasionally use cannabis to help me stay relaxed and comfortable when the pain becomes intolerable. Like many of todays medicinal cannabis patients, I was not a smoker and had never been comfortable with inhaling smoke and toxins into my lungs. A couple of years ago, I spent countless hours researching and putting together a guide for making cannabis cooking oil so that others could avoid the costly trial and error process I went through. While my process works great, it is smelly, messy, and if done right will consume a fair portion of your day. It also requires a double boiler, candy thermometer, a lot of attention, and a bit of ingenuity. The worst part? Make a mistake, and hundreds of dollars worth of medicinal cannabis is suddenly worthless.
The process for making infused oils/butters with the Magical Butter machine? Pour the oil (or butter) into the machine, place the herb in the machine, push a couple of buttons... and wait. That's it! It's mind-blowingly simple, and the resulting infusion is fantastic. Whether making butter, cooking oil, tinctures, or even medicinal cannabis oil – the process is laughably simple when using the Magical Butter machine.
Cannabis Oil – Enemy to Cancer?
More and more research and anecdotal evidence points to a link between cannabis oil concentrates and the slowing or even stopping of developing cancers. In this sense, we are not talking about the kind of infused oil for cooking mentioned above, but rather a highly concentrated oil that can be used for medicinal purposes. It's a tarry looking substance, once created, that is a consistency similar to molasses when cooled. In this concentrated form, patients add a small amount (think in terms of a drop or drops) to food that they ingest or apply under the tongue, or on their gums. When mixed with food, it's not cooked in, but mixed into it for ingestion. Medicinal cannabis pioneers like Rick Simpson have been touting the benefits of these oils for cancer treatment for years, and the popularity and demand for such has been astronomical. The problem until now, is that the process for making this type of oil falls somewhere between daunting... and downright scary. Instructions found on the internet often involve toxic solvents and their creation are not at all for the faint of heart.
The newest version of the Magical Butter machine (MB2) makes creating medicinal oil dramatically easier and much less scary. For this review we went ahead and prepared a batch of medicinal cannabis oil.
Important note – When making cannabis oil, always make sure that you are working in a well-ventilated area, away from flames or ignition sources:
Making medicinal cannabis oil with the Magical Butter Machine
Step 1: Remove the top of the machine, and set it aside. Pour into the machine 2 ½ ounces of medicinal cannabis*.
Step 2: Pour 750 ml of “Everclear” alcohol into the machine. If you can find the 95% version of Everclear in your state, that is preferred here, but the 75% Everclear will work (note: the oil will be of slightly better quality with the 95% Everclear).
Step 3: Replace the top on the Magical Butter machine and plug it in. Set the temperature for 160 degrees (do not set the temperature any higher than this). Press the button labeled for tinctures “4 hours” and let the machine run. During this time the machine will heat up, buzz, whir and grind periodically as led lights flash and glow. The lights are a great whimsical touch, and actually give it a bit of a “magical” feel. After it completes the 4 hour cycle, let the machine cool for an additional half hour.
Step 4: Pour the resulting liquid through a strainer into a container. Squeeze out as much of the liquid through the strainer as possible.
Step 5: Carefully pour the liquid into a saucepan. Turn the heat onto warm, and allow the liquid to come to a soft boil. This process is called a "reduction" and should be well attended and stirred along the way. After about 45-60 minutes of stirring and simmering, the oil should be reduced down to a consistency similar to a warm maple syrup. The small amount of oil left, is the highly concentrated medicinal cannabis oil. Carefully pour this into your desired bottle/container. Due to it's preparation using alcohol, this oil should store for a fairly long time. Note, that in making the oil for my review that I broke the smaller container I intended to use, resulting in my putting the oil in a large jar. The large jar works, but a smaller glass container with an eyedropper would be much better, as an example. Upon completion, amount of oil will vary depending on the quality and strain of cannabis used. For me, it produced roughly 12 grams of oil.
* Medicinal cannabis oils require a fair amount of cannabis, which in itself is daunting to some patients. Keep in mind that efficacy may be diminished if using smaller amounts.
Minor Quibbles
Is the Magical Butter machine perfect? No, but it's pretty fantastic. The filter included with the MB2 device is a “gold” coffee filter, which works and is also an old-standby for straining these oils using more traditional old-school methods. While it performs the task just fine, it's a bit cumbersome to strain your material through. Herbal filter bags, or even cheesecloth would probably work better – and thankfully are an easy enough upgrade should someone want to simplify things even more. The coffee filter they include becomes especially difficult to use when infusing a large amount of oil and herb. It's a bit small for the 2 ½ ounces used in the medicinal oil recipe, for example.
While it really shines at making butters and oils for cooking, it has some limitations when making concentrated cannabis oil as mentioned above. The machine is unable to to replicated some freezing processes that would remove chlorophyll and increase the overall purity and quality of the oil. Still, the resulting oil seems to be an effective medicine for those considering a simpler method like this.
Also, another reviewer at 420 magazine had issues with making cannabis oil at higher elevations – it seemed that for some reason the alcohol would evaporate too fast, and had done so prior to the machine running it's 4 hour program. Having said that, we had no issues when using the machine outside of higher elevations. Still, something to consider before investing in the machine.
Lastly, the Magical Butter machine has a handy cleaning function, which probably works well for most herbal infusions, but for making cannabis oils falls a bit short. The nature of cannabis oil is that it's extremely sticky and gooey, and the called-for soap and water cleaning process won't quite cut the gooey residue left behind, at least after making concentrated cannabis oil. Thankfully, it's easily cleaned with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, which cuts through the sticky residue much more effectively than the soap and water.
Bottom Line
Especially since the inclusion of the ability to use the Magical Butter machine for medicinal cannabis oil and tinctures as part of the second iteration of the device (MB2), this machine really does revolutionize cannabis infusions. Speaking as someone who has labored for hours just to make a single batch of “magical brownies” this machine not only makes the process easier – it's almost fun. I smiled at how simple it was to operate and raised my eyebrows at the resulting oils it produced. It feels durably constructed and sturdy, and amazingly well-imagined. The cannabis oil created for this review turned out fabulously, even as it was my first time making medicinal oil like this. The resulting medicine produced was exactly as expected. Just make sure to have good ventilation for the part of the process that happens outside of the machine, as the resulting vapors can be pretty strong. Finally, the machine comes with several recipes and excellent instructions. If you are into making oils or butters for cooking, these recipes are invaluable and cover a wide range of culinary delights.
All and all, this machine works phenomenally for the functions it performs and completely exceeded my expectations. If you have been wanting to make medicinal cannabis oil, cannabis butter or cannabis infused cooking oils this machine takes a difficult, time consuming process and makes it a relative breeze.
Link to original Magical Butter review by Doc Bud: Magical Butter Product Review
Link to follow up review by Doc Bud: More on Magical Butter
-----------------------------
Reviewed by Xlr8
